Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Wednesday deputed 13 senior OAS officers to Puri as Officers on Special Duty (OSD) to assist the district administration in ensuring the smooth conduct of Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath.
In continuation of the General Administration and Public Grievance Department’s June 17 order, the officers will serve in Puri from June 25 to July 27, 2026. They have been instructed to report to the Collector on June 25 positively for further assignments and briefings.
This proactive measure aims to strengthen coordination for various aspects of the grand chariot festival, including crowd management, security, logistics, and
public services, as lakhs of devotees from across India and abroad are expected to participate. The annual Ratha Yatra is scheduled to begin on July 16, when the deities Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, and Devi Subhadra will travel from the Shree Jagannath Temple to Gundicha Temple on their elaborately decorated chariots.
The nine-day event draws millions of devotees and requires meticulous administrative planning.
The officers are:
Subhananda Mohapatra, Director, Housing-cum-ex Officio Additional Secretary to Government, H&UD Department
Suvash Chandra Nathsharma, Additional SRC
Bijaya Kumar Swain, Additional Secretary to Government, Sports & YS Department
Niti Ranjan Sen, MD, Odisha State Seeds Corporation Ltd.
Debasish Patnaik, Additional Secretary to Government, Excise Department
Subrat Kumar Behera, Deputy Secretary to Government, HT&H Department
Jitendra Kumar Nayak, Additional EO, Zilla Parishad, Nayagada
Bijay Kumar Nayak, Land Officer, Idco, Bhubaneswar
Subrat Kumar Jena, Land Officer, Idco, Bhubaneswar
Bijaya Kumar Behera, Additional EO, Zilla Parishad, Ganjam
Kishor Kumar Panda, Additional EO, Zilla Parishad, Baragada
Manoj Kumar Behera, Deputy Secretary, Tourism Department
Hemanta Bharimal, Land Officer, Commissioner of Endowment